How to choose the best noise-cancelling headphones for you
With prices starting from around £50 and soaring to well over £300, there’s a pair of noise-cancelling headphones out there for everyone, no matter their budget. But which style is right for you and what features should you look for? The answers to both of those questions can be found in the buying guide below.
What types of noise cancellation are there?
Headphones can feature two types of noise cancellation: active and passive. Passive noise cancellation simply means physically blocking out external noises. It’s often referred to as “sound isolation”, and the style of headphones you choose will have a significant impact on how effective it is.
Active noise cancellation is a much smarter process using clever technology to reduce ambient noise so nothing disturbs your listening. The only downside of the technology is that it’s rather expensive, though we’re seeing more affordable options emerging. If you can’t stretch your budget to a pair of ANC headphones, you may want to take a look at our roundups of the best Bluetooth headphones and best cheap headphones for some less dear alternatives.
What style of noise-cancelling headphones should I buy?
Noise-cancelling headphones come in all shapes and sizes, and their ability to passively block out ambient sound varies greatly from style to style.
Over-ear headphones of the closed-back variety offer the best passive noise-cancellation as their earcups are sealed and envelop your ears. Open-back over-ear headphones actively let sound in, so you won’t find any noise-cancelling headphones with an open-back design.
On-ear headphones let some sound in owing to the way they sit on your ears. This doesn’t make ANC redundant, but there aren’t nearly as many on-ear headphones with ANC as there are over-ear options.
In-ear headphones do passive noise cancellation slightly differently: they use silicone eartips to seal your ear canals and isolate sound that way. There are some in-ear noise-cancelling headphones that use an open-fit design – where the earpieces rest just inside your ears – but we recommend you steer clear of these if you’re after decent ANC as they let too much sound in.
Ultimately, the style you choose will be the one you find most comfortable and practical for the conditions in which you plan to use your noise-cancelling headphones.
How does active noise cancellation work?
ANC relies on a combination of outward-facing microphones built into the headphones and clever digital signal processing. The microphones constantly listen to the ambient sound around you, while the digital signal processor takes that audio and plays the exact inverse of that sound alongside your music. The result is that those outside noises are effectively cancelled out, allowing you to enjoy your music as it was meant to be heard.
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source: https://www.expertreviews.com/uk/headphones/1406074/best-noise-cancelling-anc-headphones
